System and method for transferring states between electronic devices

ABSTRACT

In some examples, a system comprises a memory device for storing instructions and a processor which executes instructions causing the system to perform operations comprising receiving an instruction to transfer a state of a first device to a second device, and packaging information relating to the state of the first device in a file. The packaging of the information relating to the state of the first device includes recording each application executing on the first device in a list maintained in the file, and transferring the file containing information relating to the state of the first device to the second device, either directly or indirectly based on an availability of connections between the first device and the second device. The file, when processed by the second device, causes the second device to reproduce the state of the first device. In some example, reproducing the state of the first device includes the second device downloading, from one or more of the locations, one or more of the applications.

REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.15/472,942, filed Mar. 29, 2017, which is a continuation of U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 15/002,583, filed Jan. 21, 2016, which is acontinuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/462,398, filed Aug.18, 2014, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.13/340,046, filed on Dec. 29, 2011, the benefit of priority of each ofwhich is claimed hereby, and which is incorporated herein by referencein their entirety.

TECHNICAL FIELD

Example embodiments of the present disclosure relate generally toelectronic devices, and in particular but not by way of limitation, to asystem and method for transferring states between electronic devices.

BACKGROUND

It is common for users to use a variety of electronic devices on a dailybasis. For example, at various times of the day, a user may use adesktop, tablet, and/or laptop computer at home, a mobile device whiletraveling, a computer at work. In some cases, the user may execute thesame application or perform the same task on one or more of the devices,while in other cases, the user may perform a portion of a task on onedevice and complete the remainder of the task on a second device.Currently, options are limited and/or cumbersome for transferring thestate or progress of a task or item from one device to another if theuser needs to switch devices. For example, if a user is working with adocument on a first computing device and needs to switch to a secondcomputing device, the user must save his progress on the document andeither transmit the document via a network to the second computingdevice (e.g., via electronic mail, a file sharing site, a fax) or savethe document to storage media for transport to the second computingdevice. Additionally, such steps typically require the performance ofadditional set up actions to return the user to a state that duplicatesthe state of the prior device.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

Various ones of the appended drawings merely illustrate exampleembodiments of the present invention and cannot be considered aslimiting its scope.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a network architecture of asystem in which client devices may communicate with each other and aserver directly or via a network, according to some embodiments.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a client device configured tocapture and transfer a state of the client device to other devices,according to some embodiments.

FIG. 3 is a flow diagram of an example method for transferring the stateof a device from one device to another device, according to someembodiments.

FIG. 4 is a flow diagram of an example method for transferring the stateof a device from one device to another device, according to someembodiments.

FIG. 5 is a simplified block diagram of a machine in an example form ofa computing system within which a set of instructions for causing themachine to perform any one or more of the methodologies discussed hereinmay be executed.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The description that follows includes systems, methods, techniques,instruction sequences, and computing machine program products thatembody illustrative embodiments of the present invention. In thefollowing description, for purposes of explanation, numerous specificdetails are set forth in order to provide an understanding of variousembodiments of the inventive subject matter. It will be evident,however, to those skilled in the art that embodiments of the inventivesubject matter may be practiced without these specific details. Ingeneral, well-known instruction instances, protocols, structures, andtechniques have not been shown in detail.

As used herein, the term “or” may be construed in either an inclusive orexclusive sense. Additionally, although various example embodimentsdiscussed below may refer to a network-based publication system, theembodiments are given merely for clarity in disclosure. Thus, any typeof client device operating in a networked environment may employ variousembodiments described herein and may be considered as being within ascope of example embodiments. Each of a variety of example embodimentsis discussed in detail below.

Example embodiments described herein provide systems and methods forfacilitating the transfer of a state of a device from one device toanother device. In example embodiments, a request to transfer the stateof a device is received. The state of the device may be captured andpackaged for transfer. Preferences and availabilities of the channels ormethods by which the device state may be transferred are determined.Based on the determined transfer preferences and availabilities, thepackaged state of the device may be transferred to another device usinga connection determined from the transfer preferences andavailabilities. The packaged state may be processed and extracted by thereceiving device thereby enabling a user to reproduce the state of thefirst device on the second device.

By using embodiments of the present invention, a user may efficientlytransfer the state of a device to another device, thereby enabling theuser to enhance productivity when situations arise that require a userto change devices. Accordingly, one or more of the methodologiesdiscussed herein may obviate a need for cumbersome file and applicationstate transfers and repetitive actions to set up a device to the samestate as a previous device.

With reference to FIG. 1, a network architecture of a system 100 inwhich client devices may communicate with each other and a serverdirectly or via a network is shown, according to some embodiments. Anetworked server(s) 106 is coupled via a communication network 106(e.g., the Internet, Local Area Network (LAN), wireless network,cellular network, or a Wide Area Network (WAN)) to one or more clientdevices 102 and 104. The client devices 102 and 104 may be connected toeach other and the server(s) 106 either directly or via a network usingany suitable connections. For example, suitable connections includewireline (such as, for example, Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) or DataOver Cable Service Interface Specification (DOCSIS)), wireless (such as,for example, Wi-Fi or Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access(WiMAX)) or optical (such as, for example, Synchronous Optical Network(SONET) or Synchronous Digital Hierarchy (SDH)) connections. Clientdevices 102 and 104 also may connect to each other or the server(s) 106using one or more of Bluetooth, Near Field Communication, radiofrequency identification (RFID), infrared, Universal Serial Bus (USB),Thunderbolt, or gesture-initiated and/or gesture-driven connections(e.g., Bump). In particular embodiments, one or more connections formedbetween two devices each may include one or more of an ad hoc network,an intranet, an extranet, a VPN, a LAN, a WLAN, a WAN, a WWAN, a MAN, aportion of the Internet, a portion of the PSTN, a cellular telephonenetwork, or another type of connection, or a combination of two or moresuch connections. Connections need not necessarily be the samethroughout system 100. One or more first connections may differ in oneor more respects from one or more second connections. Client devices 102and 104 may use any of the aforementioned connections to transfer databetween each other and/or server(s) 106, including device stateinformation, as will be described in further detail herein.

The networked server(s) 106 may provide storage and connectionmechanisms to enable a user to connect two devices and transfer filesand/or the state of a device from one device to another. In someembodiments, the user may connect two devices directly using any of theaforementioned protocols discussed above. In other embodiments, the usermay indirectly connect two devices via a connection to the server(s) 106(either directly or through the network 108). In some embodiments, theserver(s) 106 may provide a user interface that permits interaction withthe server 106 by a user of a device. In some embodiments, the server(s)106 may form part of a web service that hosts an account for a user toupload, maintain, and download device-related data.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a client device configured tocapture and transfer a state of the client device to other devices,according to some embodiments. Referring to FIG. 2, the client device102 or 104 of FIG. 1 may include multiple modules and components thatfacilitate the transfer of a device state. An authentication module 202performs authentication procedures on the device 102. In someembodiments, the authentication module 202 may authenticate a user toenable access the device, while in other embodiments, the authenticationmodule 202 may authenticate a user of the device 102 with respect to athird-party device or service (e.g., a web service, a cloud-basedservice provider). The authentication module 202 may authenticate a userof a device by requiring that the user enter a username and/or password,an authentication code generated from a token (e.g., hardware token,soft token), biometric identification information (e.g., a fingerprint,voice identification, iris scan, facial recognition), or any combinationthereof. In some embodiments, upon authentication, the authenticationmodule 202 may generate or provide a token or certificate that may bepassed to other devices and services as an indicator that the user ofthe device is authorized. In some embodiments, the authentication module202 may pre-authenticate or register the device 102 with a third-partyprovider of services for enabling the transfer of a device state toavoid requiring the user to authenticate the device 102 beforetransferring the state of the device 102 to another device.

A location awareness module 204 ascertains the location of the device102. The location of the device 102 may be a set of coordinatesdetermined by leveraging functionality commonly found in client devices,such as a GPS module. In other embodiments, the location awarenessmodule 204 may determine a location based on one or more other factors,such as IP address, the Wi-Fi network the device 102 is connected to,triangulation, or by the user specifying the location to the device 102.In some embodiments, the device 102 may be authenticated by theauthentication module 202 in part based on a detection of a recognizedand/or previously authenticated location of the device 102. In someembodiments, location-based authentication also may require anidentification of the device itself, such as by using a Media AccessControl (MAC) address of the device. For example, if a client device 102enters the range of previously recognized Wi-Fi network and connects tothe Wi-Fi network, the location awareness module 204 may recognize thelocation of the client device 102. If the client device 102 waspreviously authenticated on the Wi-Fi network, in some embodiments, thedevice 102 may be authenticated based on the previous authentication.

A gesture recognition module 206 may recognize gestures performed on orby the client device 102. In some embodiments, recognized gestures mayprompt the device 102 to initiate a capture and transfer of the state ofthe device. For example, a user interface presented on the device 102may include a selectable user interface element (e.g., a button, anicon) that, when selected, causes the device 102 to capture its currentstate for transfer to another device. In other embodiments, a recognizedgesture performed on a touch-enabled surface of the device 102 maytrigger the device state transfer process. In yet another embodiment, arecognized movement of the device may trigger the device state transferprocess. For example, if a user moves the device 102 into closeproximity to another device, the act of moving the device 102 may besensed by the device 102 (e.g., by an accelerometer in the device 102)and may be interpreted as a triggering of the device state transferprocess.

A device state capture module 208 may capture and package the state ofthe device 102 upon receiving an indication that the device state is tobe transferred. In some embodiments, the device state capture module 208may record every user application executing on the device 102. A scriptcontaining execution paths for the recorded applications may begenerated. The script may allow for a receiving device to quicklyexecute the recorded applications upon receiving the device statetransfer. In some embodiments, the state of each executing applicationalso is recorded and/or saved such that execution of the applications onanother device causes the applications to be executed at theirrespective recorded states. The state may include, among other things, aprogress within the application (e.g., a level or stage of a game, astage in a workflow, a location of navigation within a document, such asa web page) and one or more documents being operated on by theapplication.

In some embodiments, the device state capture module 208 may employ oneor more scripts to capture information within applications or pages thatmay not otherwise be transferred. For example, data inputted into formsor fields of an application or a document being edited in an applicationmay not be captured by merely recording the execution of theapplication. In these situations, one or more scripts (e.g., Javascript)may capture and save the inputted form or field data and may map theassociation between the inputted data and the field in which the datawas entered to ensure correct population of the form at the receivingdevice.

In some embodiments, the device state capture module 208 may package thecaptured applications, application states, and inputted data in a singlefile. In some embodiments, the single file may include scripts, files,and data captured from the scripts. In some embodiments, the single filemay be a zipped or compressed file. To minimize the size of the file andbandwidth needed to transmit the file, hyperlinks or other shortcuts(e.g., pointers, delta files, execution paths) may be packaged insteadof an entire application or application state. The file may be executedor unpacked by the receiving device to launch the applicationspreviously executing on the transferring device, open the documentspreviously being operated on by the applications, and populate the formswith inputted data. In some embodiments, logic contained in the file mayaid in correctly populating forms (e.g., web-based forms). In someembodiments, the logic may examine the packaged data relative to theavailable fields of a form to determine which data should populate whichfield. In other embodiments, the logic may examine the stored mapping orassociation between the data and the form fields to correctly populatethe form. In some embodiments, an objective of the transfer is to allowcurrent applications to run immediately on the receiving device whilemore data intensive apps or data are loaded in the background. Forexample, if a user is working on a Microsoft Powerpoint® file in thebackground and is currently accessing a web page via the Internet usinga browser application, prioritizing the transfer of the data related tothe Internet browser application over the Powerpoint data will allow thetransfer to appear seamless on the receiving device. Prioritization, insome embodiments, may entail transferring the Internet browserapplication data first, followed by the Powerpoint data second. In otherembodiments, prioritization may entail transferring the Internet browserapplication data at a faster transfer rate than the Powerpoint data. Inyet another embodiment, enough data of the Internet browser applicationdata as is needed to launch the browser application on the receivingdevice may be transferred before the Powerpoint data is transferred.This approach may enable the application running in the foreground(e.g., the Internet browser application) to be launched first.

A scripting engine 210 may generate scripts as needed to capture datafrom documents, pages, and forms, among other things. The scriptingengine 210 may determine the type of document being processed. In someembodiments, this examination may entail examining the metadata orsource of the document to identify and extract the structure andcomposition of the fields. For example, the scripting engine 210 mayparse the source of a web page and identify any fields present asdenoted by the appropriate HTML tags (e.g., <form> tag) and input types(e.g., <password> type, <radio> type, <checkbox> type). The scriptingengine may generate one or more scripts that are capable of capturinginput data entered into the various types of input elements based on theparsing.

A Bluetooth module 212 may provide Bluetooth functionality for theclient device 102. The Bluetooth module 212 may permit the client device102 to transfer device states to another Bluetooth-enabled device bycreating a Personal Area Network (PAN) between the client device 102 andthe receiving device. In the event that the client device 102 and thereceiving device are not paired, the Bluetooth module 212 may firstinitiate a pairing between the client device 102 and a receiving device.

A near field communication (NFC) module 214 may permit the client device102 to transfer device states to a receiving device via radiocommunications over a short distance, provided that the receiving devicealso supports NFC communication.

The client device 102 may include one or more network adapters andcommunication ports 216 to facilitate transfer of devices states. Forexample, the client device 102 may include a Wi-Fi adapter (e.g., 802.11standard) to enable Wi-Fi communications. The client device 102 also mayinclude one or more of a standard USB port, a mini-USB port, a micro-USBport, a wireless USB adapter, non-USB wireless adapters, and non-USBwired ports and adapters. Any and all of these adapters and ports may beused to transfer state information of the client device 102 to areceiving device.

A connection manager module 218 may determine the appropriate connectionto use to transfer a device state from the client device 102 to areceiving device. The connection manager module 218 may store aprioritized list of connection types. In some embodiments, the list maybe user-defined. The prioritized list of connection types may specify anorder of preferred connections. For example, the client device 102 maypreferably use Wi-Fi to transfer a device state if Wi-Fi is an availableconnection type. If Wi-Fi is not enabled, the list may specify that NFCis the next preferred connection type, followed by Bluetooth, and as alast resort by a cellular connection to a cloud-based storage provider.In some embodiments, the prioritized list of connection types may bedynamically determined based on available connections, the amount ofdata to be transferred to the receiving device, the bandwidth of theavailable connections, and the amount of time required to transfer thedevice state via each available connection. The connection managermodule 218 may open and initiate the selected connection channel and mayoversee the transfer of the device state to the receiving device.

FIG. 3 is a flow diagram of an example method for transferring the stateof a device from one device to another device, according to someembodiments. In block 300, a user of a client device may beauthenticated. In some embodiments, the authentication may be performedby the client device, such as, for example, by requiring the user toenter credentials (e.g., username and password, token code, biometricdata). In some embodiments, further authentication may be performed by athird-party service provider, such as a cloud-based storage providerthat the client device 102 intends to use to transfer a device state toa receiving device. In some embodiments, authentication may be storedand pre-approved to eliminate the need for the user to provideauthentication each time the user wishes to transfer a device state.

In block 302, the device or third-party facilitator (e.g., cloud-basedservice provider) of a device state transfer may receive an instructionto transfer the state of the device. The instruction may be received ina variety of ways, including by an input selection performed on an inputelement of a user interface of the client device, by a recognizedgesture performed by the device itself or performed on a touch-enabledinterface of the device, by voice command or recognition, or by otherbiometric identification or user-performed action. The instruction maycomprise an input to transfer the device state or may include additionalinstructions specifying such things as a subset of the device state(e.g., transfer only the state of one of three executing applications)to transfer or a designation of one or more preferred communicationchannels to use (e.g., use only Wi-Fi or Bluetooth).

In block 304, the device state capture module 208 of FIG. 2 may capturethe device state or subset of device state and package the capturedstate for transfer to a receiving device. In some embodiments, capturingthe device state may comprise recording and/or logging the applicationsexecuting on the device, saving a copy of documents and files in use(e.g., opened, edited, manipulated, operated on) on the device,recording and/or logging one or more web pages opened, executing one ormore scripts to extract data (e.g., form-based data, data entered intodata fields, metadata) from documents or pages that would otherwise belost.

In some embodiments, capturing the device state further may includeidentifying and gathering one or more files that, while not open on thedevice, have been designated by the user as files to be transferred. Forexample, the user may wish to transfer one or more songs, video files,movies, contacts, bookmarks, preferences, or coupons to a receivingdevice. One example where the transfer of such documents may be usefulis in setting up a new device to replicate the settings of the olddevice. For example, when a user buys a new mobile device, the user maywish to import settings, contacts, and files (e.g., songs, movies,documents) from the old mobile device to the new mobile device. Thedevice state capture module 208 may gather these files and settings andpackage them with or instead of the device state.

In some embodiments, the device state capture module 208 may package thedevice state and/or selected files and settings in a single file. Insome embodiments, the file may be a zipped or compressed file that maybe unpacked by a receiving device to yield one or more files or scriptsthat reproduce the state of a device on a receiving device. In someembodiments, hyperlinks and execution paths may be recorded and used inplace of packaging an actual application for transfer. In the event areceiving device does not have an application installed, the package mayspecify a location from which the application may be downloaded andinstalled on the receiving device. In other embodiments, an errormessage may be generated and provided to a user indicating that thereceiving device cannot fully reproduce the state of a transferringdevice.

In block 306, the device may determine transfer preferences andconnection type availabilities. The connection manager module 218 ofFIG. 2 may select a connection type to use to transfer the device statepackage from the transferring device to the receiving device. Selectionof the connection type may depend on connection type availabilities andcompatibilities (e.g., whether both devices support a particularconnection type) as well as the size of the device state package beingtransferred, the amount of time estimated to transfer the device statepackage, the available bandwidth of each connection type, and userpreferences for particular connection types, among other things.Possible direct transfer connection types include Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, NFC,cellular connections, or any other wireless connection capable of beingformed between two devices and wired connections such as USB,Thunderbolt, Ethernet, non-USB wired connections (e.g., FireWire), andthe like. Possible indirect transfer connection types may utilizecellular or Wi-Fi connections to transfer the device state package to aremote network service provider (e.g., cloud-based service provider)that routes the device state package via a network to a receivingdevice. In some embodiments, routing a transfer of a device statepackage through a cloud-based service provider may be desirable in thata copy of the device state package that is being transferred is storedfor future reference or access.

The determination of transfer preferences is further explained in detailat block 308, which will be expanded upon in FIG. 4.

At block 410, the device state is transferred to the receiving device,where it may be processed. The device state of the transferring devicemay be reproduced on the receiving device, thereby providing anefficient way to seamlessly transition from using one device to usinganother device. Productivity may be increased using the systems andmethods described herein as a user can quickly and easily transfer theuser's work from one device to another.

FIG. 4 is a flow diagram of an example method for transferring the stateof a device from one device to another device, according to someembodiments. At decision block 402, which follows block 308 of FIG. 3,the connection manager module 218 may determine the directdevice-to-device transfer options that are available. The connectionmanager module 218 may determine whether the two devices (transferringand receiving) support the same connection types. For example, it may bedetermined that both devices support NFC. If direct device-to-deviceconnection options are available, the connection manager module 218 maydetermine and select a connection type to use for the device statetransfer using the criteria discussed herein. In some embodiments, theconnection manager module 218 may employ an algorithm that assignsweights to the various factors that influence the selection of aconnection type as discussed herein. Once a connection type has beenspecified, the example method may proceed to block 310 of FIG. 3 wherethe device state may be transferred to the receiving device.

If direct connections between the two devices are unavailable oruntenable, the example method proceeds to decision block 404, where itis determined if network-based transfer options are available.Network-based transfer options may include Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, andcellular (e.g., 3G, 4G) connections. In some embodiments, two devicesmay connect directly via a network, such as by using Wi-Fi to transmit adevice state. In other embodiments, the transferring device may use anetwork connection (e.g., Wi-Fi) to transmit the device state to aremote network device (e.g., a cloud-based service provider) from whicha receiving device may download the device state. As discussed herein,the connection manager 218 may select a network-based connection basedon the factors previously discussed. Once a connection type has beenspecified, the example method may proceed to block 310 of FIG. 3 wherethe device state may be transferred to the receiving device using theselected connection.

If network-based connections are also unavailable, at block 406, anotification may be provided to the user to find alternate transferconnections. At this point, the user may choose to employ a wiredconnection (e.g., via USB cable) to transfer the device state or may optto wait until a suitable connection is established between the devices.

Modules, Components, and Logic

Additionally, certain embodiments described herein may be implemented aslogic or a number of modules, engines, components, or mechanisms. Amodule, engine, logic, component, or mechanism (collectively referred toas a “module”) may be a tangible unit capable of performing certainoperations and configured or arranged in a certain manner. In certainexample embodiments, one or more computer systems (e.g., a standalone,client, or server computer system) or one or more components of acomputer system (e.g., a processor or a group of processors) may beconfigured by software (e.g., an application or application portion) orfirmware (note that software and firmware can generally be usedinterchangeably herein as is known by a skilled artisan) as a modulethat operates to perform certain operations described herein.

In various embodiments, a module may be implemented mechanically orelectronically. For example, a module may comprise dedicated circuitryor logic that is permanently configured (e.g., within a special-purposeprocessor, application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), or array) toperform certain operations. A module may also comprise programmablelogic or circuitry (e.g., as encompassed within a general-purposeprocessor or other programmable processor) that is temporarilyconfigured by software or firmware to perform certain operations asdescribed herein. It will be appreciated that a decision to implement amodule mechanically, in dedicated and permanently configured circuitry,or in temporarily configured circuitry (e.g., configured by software)may be driven by, for example, cost, time, energy-usage, and packagesize considerations.

Accordingly, the term “module” should be understood to encompass atangible entity, be that an entity that is physically constructed,permanently configured (e.g., hardwired), or temporarily configured(e.g., programmed) to operate in a certain manner or to perform certainoperations described herein. Considering embodiments in which modules orcomponents are temporarily configured (e.g., programmed), each of themodules or components need not be configured or instantiated at any oneinstance in time. For example, where the modules or components comprisea general-purpose processor configured using software, thegeneral-purpose processor may be configured as respective differentmodules at different times. Software may accordingly configure theprocessor to constitute a particular module at one instance of time andto constitute a different module at a different instance of time. Theprocessor may be temporary configured or permanently configured toperform relevant operations. Whether temporarily configured orpermanently configured, such processors may constituteprocessor-implemented modules that operate to perform one or moreoperations or functions.

Modules can provide information to, and receive information from, othermodules. Accordingly, the described modules may be regarded as beingcommunicatively coupled. Where multiples of such modules existcontemporaneously, communications may be achieved through signaltransmission (e.g., over appropriate circuits and buses) that connectthe modules. In embodiments in which multiple modules are configured orinstantiated at different times, communications between such modules maybe achieved, for example, through the storage and retrieval ofinformation in memory structures to which the multiple modules haveaccess. For example, one module may perform an operation and store theoutput of that operation in a memory device to which it iscommunicatively coupled. A further module may then, at a later time,access the memory device to retrieve and process the stored output.Modules may also initiate communications with input or output devicesand can operate on a resource (e.g., a collection of information).

Example Machine Architecture and Machine-Readable Medium

With reference to FIG. 5, an example embodiment extends to a machine inthe example form of a computer system 500 within which instructions forcausing the machine to perform any one or more of the methodologiesdiscussed herein may be executed. In alternative example embodiments,the machine operates as a standalone device or may be connected (e.g.,networked) to other machines. In a networked deployment, the machine mayoperate in the capacity of a server or a client machine in server-clientnetwork environment, or as a peer machine in a peer-to-peer (ordistributed) network environment. The machine may be a personal computer(PC), a tablet PC, a set-top box (STB), a Personal Digital Assistant(PDA), a cellular telephone, a web appliance, a network router, a switchor bridge, or any machine capable of executing instructions (sequentialor otherwise) that specify actions to be taken by that machine. Further,while only a single machine is illustrated, the term “machine” shallalso be taken to include any collection of machines that individually orjointly execute a set (or multiple sets) of instructions to perform anyone or more of the methodologies discussed herein.

The example computer system 500 may include a processor 502 (e.g., acentral processing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU) orboth), a main memory 504 and a static memory 506, which communicate witheach other via a bus 508. The computer system 500 may further include avideo display unit 510 (e.g., a liquid crystal display (LCD) or acathode ray tube (CRT)). In example embodiments, the computer system 500also includes one or more of an alpha-numeric input device 512 (e.g., akeyboard), a user interface (UI) navigation device or cursor controldevice 514 (e.g., a mouse), a disk drive unit 516, a signal generationdevice 518 (e.g., a speaker), and a network interface device 520.

Machine-Readable Storage Medium

The disk drive unit 516 includes a machine-readable storage medium 922on which is stored one or more sets of instructions 524 and datastructures (e.g., software instructions) embodying or used by any one ormore of the methodologies or functions described herein. Theinstructions 524 may also reside, completely or at least partially,within the main memory 504 or within the processor 502 during executionthereof by the computer system 500, with the main memory 504 and theprocessor 502 also constituting machine-readable media.

While the machine-readable storage medium 522 is shown in an exampleembodiment to be a single medium, the term “machine-readable storagemedium” may include a single medium or multiple media (e.g., acentralized or distributed database, or associated caches and servers)that store the one or more instructions. The term “machine-readablemedium” shall also be taken to include any tangible medium that iscapable of storing, encoding, or carrying instructions for execution bythe machine and that cause the machine to perform any one or more of themethodologies of embodiments of the present invention, or that iscapable of storing, encoding, or carrying data structures used by orassociated with such instructions. The term “machine-readable storagemedium” shall accordingly be taken to include, but not be limited to,solid-state memories and optical and magnetic media. Specific examplesof machine-readable storage media include non-volatile memory, includingby way of example semiconductor memory devices (e.g., ErasableProgrammable Read-Only Memory (EPROM), Electrically ErasableProgrammable Read-Only Memory (EEPROM), and flash memory devices);magnetic disks such as internal hard disks and removable disks;magneto-optical disks; and CD-ROM and DVD-ROM disks.

Transmission Medium

The instructions 524 may further be transmitted or received over acommunications network 526 using a transmission medium via the networkinterface device 520 and utilizing any one of a number of well-knowntransfer protocols (e.g., HTTP). Examples of communication networksinclude a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), theInternet, mobile telephone networks, POTS networks, and wireless datanetworks (e.g., WiFi and WiMax networks). The term “transmission medium”shall be taken to include any intangible medium that is capable ofstoring, encoding, or carrying instructions for execution by themachine, and includes digital or analog communications signals or otherintangible medium to facilitate communication of such software.

Although an overview of the inventive subject matter has been describedwith reference to specific example embodiments, various modificationsand changes may be made to these embodiments without departing from thebroader spirit and scope of embodiments of the present invention. Suchembodiments of the inventive subject matter may be referred to herein,individually or collectively, by the term “invention” merely forconvenience and without intending to voluntarily limit the scope of thisapplication to any single invention or inventive concept if more thanone is, in fact, disclosed.

The embodiments illustrated herein are described in sufficient detail toenable those skilled in the art to practice the teachings disclosed.Other embodiments may be used and derived therefrom, such thatstructural and logical substitutions and changes may be made withoutdeparting from the scope of this disclosure. The Detailed Description,therefore, is not to be taken in a limiting sense, and the scope ofvarious embodiments is defined only by the appended claims, along withthe full range of equivalents to which such claims are entitled.

Moreover, plural instances may be provided for resources, operations, orstructures described herein as a single instance. Additionally,boundaries between various resources, operations, modules, engines, anddata stores are somewhat arbitrary, and particular operations areillustrated in a context of specific illustrative configurations. Otherallocations of functionality are envisioned and may fall within a scopeof various embodiments of the present invention. In general, structuresand functionality presented as separate resources in the exampleconfigurations may be implemented as a combined structure or resource.Similarly, structures and functionality presented as a single resourcemay be implemented as separate resources. These and other variations,modifications, additions, and improvements fall within a scope ofembodiments of the present invention as represented by the appendedclaims. The specification and drawings are, accordingly, to be regardedin an illustrative rather than a restrictive sense.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method comprising: receiving an instruction totransfer a state of a first device to a second device; packaginginformation relating to the state of the first device in a file, thepackaging of the information relating to the state of the first deviceincluding recording each application executing on the first device in alist maintained in the file; transferring the file containinginformation relating to the state of the first device to the seconddevice, either directly or indirectly based on an availability ofconnections between the first device and the second device, with thefile, when processed by the second device, causing the second device toreproduce the state of the first device, reproducing the state of thefirst device including the second device downloading, from one or morelocations, one or more of the applications based on a determination thatthe one or more of the applications are not installed on the seconddevice, and installing the one or more of the applications on the seconddevice.
 2. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving an errormessage from the second device indicating the second device is unable tofully reproduce the state of the first device.
 3. The method of claim 1,wherein the information relating to the state of the first deviceincludes information associated with foreground and backgroundapplications executing on the first device, application informationassociated with the foreground and background applications, and at leastone of an open file, document, and web page associated with theforeground and background applications.
 4. The method of claim 3,further comprising saving the information associated with the foregroundand background applications before transferring the file containinginformation relating to the state of the first device to the seconddevice, the saved information including a log of one or more web pagesopen on the first device.
 5. The method of claim 1, further comprisingconsolidating a current state of the first device with settingsassociated with the first device into the transferred file.
 6. Themethod of claim 5, wherein the settings include user-designated settingsassociated with the first device.
 7. The method of claim 1, furthercomprising providing the file from the first device to a remotelynetworked device, the second device downloading the file from theremotely networked device.
 8. The method of claim 1, further comprisingauthenticating a user of the first device, prior to packaginginformation relating to the state of the first device in the file, byprompting the user to input one of a user name and password, a tokencode, and a user ID.
 9. A system comprising: a memory device for storinginstructions; and a processor which, when executing the instructions,causes the system to perform operations comprising, at least: receivingan instruction to transfer a state of a first device to a second device;packaging information relating to the state of the first device in afile, the packaging of the information relating to the state of thefirst device including recording each application executing on the firstdevice in a list maintained in the file; transferring the filecontaining information relating to the state of the first device to thesecond device, either directly or indirectly based on an availability ofconnections between the first device and the second device, with thefile, when processed by the second device, causing the second device toreproduce the state of the first device, reproducing the state of thefirst device including the second device downloading, from one or morelocations, one or more of the applications based on a determination thatthe one or more of the applications are not installed on the seconddevice, and installing the one or more of the applications on the seconddevice.
 10. The system of claim 9, wherein the operations furthercomprise receiving an error message from the second device indicatingthe second device is unable to fully reproduce the state of the firstdevice.
 11. The system of claim 9, wherein the information relating tothe state of the first device includes information associated withforeground and background applications executing on the first device,application information associated with the foreground and backgroundapplications, and at least one of an open file, document, and web pageassociated with the foreground and background applications.
 12. Thesystem of claim 11, wherein the operations further comprise saving theinformation associated with the foreground and background applicationsbefore transferring the file containing information relating to thestate of the first device to the second device, the saved informationincluding a log of one or more web pages open on the first device. 13.The system of claim 9, wherein the operations further compriseconsolidating a current state of the first device with settingsassociated with the first device into the transferred file.
 14. Thesystem of claim 13, wherein the settings include user-designatedsettings associated with the first device.
 15. A non-transitorymachine-readable medium comprising instructions which, when read by amachine, cause the machine to perform operations comprising, at least:receiving an instruction to transfer a state of a first device to asecond device; packaging information relating to the state of the firstdevice in a file, the packaging of the information relating to the stateof the first device including recording each application executing onthe first device in a list maintained in the file; transferring the filecontaining information relating to the state of the first device to thesecond device, either directly or indirectly based on an availability ofconnections between the first device and the second device, with thefile, when processed by the second device, causing the second device toreproduce the state of the first device, reproducing the state of thefirst device including the second device downloading, from one or morelocations, one or more of the applications based on a determination thatthe one or more of the applications are not installed on the seconddevice, and installing the one or more of the applications on the seconddevice.
 16. The non-transitory medium of claim 15, wherein theoperations further comprise receiving an error message from the seconddevice indicating the second device is unable to fully reproduce thestate of the first device.
 17. The non-transitory medium of claim 15,wherein the information relating to the state of the first deviceincludes information associated with foreground and backgroundapplications executing on the first device, application informationassociated with the foreground and background applications, and at leastone of an open file, document, and web page associated with theforeground and background applications.
 18. The non-transitory medium ofclaim 17, wherein the operations further comprise saving the informationassociated with the foreground and background applications beforetransferring the file containing information relating to the state ofthe first device to the second device, the saved information including alog of one or more web pages open on the first device.
 19. Thenon-transitory medium of claim 15, wherein the operations furthercomprise consolidating a current state of the first device with settingsassociated with the first device into the transferred file.
 20. Thenon-transitory medium of claim 19, wherein the settings includeuser-designated settings associated with the first device.